HRA's Employment Services provides services that meet the needs of job seekers, workers, and employers. We work closely with participants and employers to achieve worker success, improve on-the-job performance, and focus on reducing turnover by increasing the economic mobility of workers. Employment Services ensures that cash assistance applicants and clients are work-ready and have appropriate supportive services to engage in a productive job search, including training, literacy classes and resume assistance. Once employed, workers are automatically linked, where appropriate, to work supports such as food stamps and public health insurance and are encouraged to connect to heating supplement and to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit so that their wages will be supplemented during their transition to employment.

Employment Services' work with employers starts with a greater understanding of a business's specific needs. Our business services include connecting employers to information about economic incentives and tax credits offered by the government for hiring job seekers with employment barriers. We also encourage employers to educate their workforce about available work supports so that New York businesses and its workforce have greater stability, economic well-being and productivity on the job.

HRA's Employment Services are part of a larger system for assisting cash assistance applicants and recipients in finding employment. In the last two years alone, approximately HRA has recorded 154,000 job placements of cash assistance applicants and participants.

Business Link
HRA's Business Link is a fast, free and efficient way for employers to reach job seekers.

Business Link is at the core of the City's efforts to move cash assistance clients into jobs. Also, there are financial benefits available to companies that hire employees through Business Link.  Business Link targets qualified candidates to meet employer specifications. A dedicated account manager works with your business to create a posting and supply pre-screened candidates in seven days or less. Employers may qualify to receive wage subsidies or State and Federal Tax Credits. Job seekers who are receiving cash assistance can call the 24-hour job listing 212-643-2881 and select extension 2 for a listing of jobs. Or call toll free: 877-585-JOBS (5627).

Back to Work
Under the Back to Work program, a single vendor works with an individual to assist them in finding employment from the time they apply for cash assistance through placement and retention in a job, allowing them to build stronger relationships with each other and leading to more seamless service delivery and more successful job placement rates.

To meet the Mayor's goal for all contracts to be performance-based, the contracts for Back to Work are 100% performance-based, placing greater emphasis on services that promote job retention and career advancement, including job training and educational activities.

BEGIN
BEGIN (Begin Employment Gain Independence Now) Managed Programs (BMP), a collaborative effort between HRA and education and training providers, offers a coordinated program of employment preparation to support the efforts of cash assistance recipients making the transition to employment.

These skill-enhancing activities are focused on those with low literacy levels and are applied to an individual client's customized plan towards reaching his/her maximum level of self-sufficiency.  BEGIN Programs can include:

• Work Study
• Language Work Study
• Internship
• Vocational Work Study
• Employment Plus

WEP
The Work Experience Program (WEP) is designed to provide a simulated work experience to individuals receiving cash assistance. Through this program, an employable individual is assigned to work for his/her cash assistance and food stamp benefits at NYC government agencies or private, not-for-profit agencies throughout the five boroughs. 

TEAM TAG (Training Assessment Group)
HRA's Office of Training Evaluation and Monitoring not only provides services for HRA TANF/SN participants who express an interest in training or are continuing training in HRA approved programs, but also maintains the oversight responsibilities related to monitoring the participants' performance and the performance of the providers of these programs.

(TAG) is charged with evaluating a participant's request to participate in a stand-alone training or educational program in lieu of his/her full engagement requirements. Associated with this is the Training Evaluation and Monitoring (TEAM) program, which is responsible for the research and development of all available education and vocational training programs and support services for the cash assistance population.